Blood Queen (Page 8)

The assistant nodded. "Anything else, master?" he asked.

"The little common doesn’t understand anything we say. His head injury must have been severe. Please don’t frighten or agitate him. I will go to Lady Mayarok later and tell her this one’s convalescence may be extensive."

"She will obtain funds for us if such is the case," the assistant nodded. "The Raona herself has promised to provide funding for any common that needs the care. Do we know what the common’s name is?"

"We do not and none have come forward with information. We can only assume his entire family perished," Darvul sighed. "I am going to return to bed and sleep for a click or two. Wake me if there is need." Darvul strode down the long hall toward his room. The assistant went to see the little miracle himself. His master predicted that this common would die. Fortunately, he had been in error.

* * *

Noff held a cup of tea in his hands as he leaned against the outside wall of the infirmary. Built on a single level, the long building had square windows spaced at even intervals down each side. The infirmary was fashioned of whitewashed brick with fired tile floors and stucco walls that could be cleaned easily. Inside walls were painted a muted green with white trim, designed to be restful for the ones who received treatment within.

Common demons were not susceptible to diseases like so many other races. They were often injured, however, just as anyone else might be. Common physicians and their assistants generally treated broken bones, cuts, sprains, bruises and burns. The multitude of injuries resulting from the battle had taxed their knowledge to the limit.

Noff hadn’t gone back to his bed as Darvul had done; he’d been too excited to sleep. Their little common had wakened against all odds. He intended to check on the patient again in only a moment or two, as soon as he finished his tea.

"Has anything changed?" Noff asked his fellow assistant as he walked into the room.

"I was about to get broth for him; it is almost time for the next feeding," Orliff yawned, stretching his arms out. Unlike Noff, Orliff’s hair was dark, his eyes blue. "My last charge went home earlier, so my master is happy to allow me to help with this one," Orliff added.

"I’ll get the broth, unless you want to do it," Noff offered.

"Go ahead," Orliff nodded.

Noff was back in ticks with a bowl of broth and a spoon on a tray. Darvul removed the IV earlier, fearing the little common might tear it from his hand since he didn’t understand what was going on around him.

Noff and Orliff woke the little common, who seemed confused as they attempted to sit him up so he could eat. "Eat," Orliff made an eating motion with his hand. The little common stared for a moment before blinking in what Noff hoped was understanding. He allowed Noff and Orliff to place him in a sitting position after that, and accepted the broth Noff spoon-fed him.

"Noff," Noff pointed to himself. "Orliff," he pointed to Orliff. The little common looked from one to the other but still hadn’t attempted speech. "What’s your name?" Noff tapped the little common’s chest gently. His ribs were still wrapped because of the breaks and his wrist was also splinted and heavily bandaged for the same reason. The little common blinked and shook his head.

"He still doesn’t understand," Orliff sighed. "Can we give him a name? He may not remember anything. Who he was, where he lived—nothing."

"Let’s call him Niff," Noff smiled. "A combination of both our names."

"That’s good," Orliff grinned. "Niff," he tapped the little common on the shoulder. "Niff."

"We’re calling him Niff until he remembers who he is," Noff informed Darvul later. "I believe he understands, now; we keep calling him that every time we feed him, and I think he responded the last time."

"Has he attempted to speak?" Darvul walked down the hall toward Niff’s room with Noff.

"No, master. Perhaps it is too early, still. He hasn’t attempted speech."

"Niff, how are you feeling?" Darvul sat on the edge of Niff’s bed. Niff was awake at least and staring up at him. Niff had blue eyes; Darvul could see them clearly in the light from the window. They watched him with curiosity, but Niff had no reply to Darvul’s question.

"Darvul," Noff pointed to his master. Niff blinked at Darvul.

"Do you think he understands?" Darvul asked his assistant.

"I think he knows Orliff and me, now," Noff replied. "It can’t hurt to try, can it?"

"No," Darvul smiled at Niff. "We’re very happy you’re awake," he said.

* * *

The news was a heavy blow to Gabron. He remembered the little Queen after three hundred years of forgetting. Forgetting anything was unusual for him—Gabron remembered everything of his nine thousand years as vampire. Three hundred years earlier, he’d erected a bronze monument in the plaza where the Solar Red temple had once stood. It memorialized all the vampires who died defending Refizan from the Solar Red priests and the Ra’Ak. The quote at the base of the monument was Lissa’s—he remembered that now. The words were her tribute to his child, Briden, who’d been dragged into sunlight and burned to death. I will hold your name in my heart as I strike down your enemies, she’d written on the sidewalk where Briden died. It was now an anthem to vampires across the Reth Alliance.

Erland Morphis, the Karathian Warlock, brought the news of Lissa’s death to Gabron. He’d met Erland shortly after the vid images of Lissa fighting off the Ra’Ak on Refizan had gone out to other worlds. Erland had known where to seek him, somehow. Gabron hadn’t been surprised; Karathian Warlocks had their own subtle ways of obtaining information. He also posed no threat to Gabron or his vampires; Erland maintained a high level of secrecy.

"It was a terrible blow to me as well, my friend," Erland sipped the wine that Gabron provided. Gabron still owned and ran brothels with the Refizani government’s blessing, even if the common population had no idea they were run by vampires.

"We had hopes that she would take us all to the vampire world," Gabron muttered. "It was a promise made to us, long ago." He didn’t tell Erland, although Erland may have guessed anyway, that he’d loved Lissa when he met her three centuries before. Now his hopes were gone, causing Gabron to sigh deeply.

Chapter 3

"Niff, let us see whether you can walk," Noff held both of Niff’s hands in his, trying to coax the small common off his bed. Darvul had allowed a small amount of solid food the day before, and the little common was improving in many ways.